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Mosses

Mosses are tiny, green, leafy plants which are often found in damp conditions especially in Central Bog on the Kinson Common. They also occur in moist woodland, on the heathland and on local walls.

The study of mosses requires patience on the part of the observer and it does take time to identify them and to understand their intricate life histories.

A useful way to start is to obtain a basic book. Specialised books tend to be expensive. An essential tool to aid all naturalists in this interesting field is a small folding eye lens. These can be costly to buy and any small magnifying glass will suffice.

Although the Kinson Common is botanically rich in diversity, with almost 400 different types of plants being recorded: surprisingly, even professional botanists and others have only managed to record about 13 species. Recording takes considerable time and this is probably why this fascinating branch of botany is often overlooked.

There are also other considerations to remember. Some of our finest mosses florish well in Central Bog. This area rates as highly as any bogland to be found in the South, including the New Forest.

When exploring bogland areas, one should always be aware of the nature of the ground being walked upon. Coupled to this, bogland holes can be deep and extremely difficult to remove an unsure foot!

For this reason, it is best to explore these areas on a guided walk. If this is not possible, it is always best to explore in pairs on site.

There are probably many more species of mosses to be discovered. If you do find or photograph any interesting mosses, we would be pleased to feature the details and the photographs on this website.

The following list are those mosses which has been recorded to date. Although some have English names, many do not.

English name
Bog thread moss
Long-trailing feather moss
Neat meadow feather moss
Rough stalked feather moss
Swan`s neck thread moss
White fork moss
Juniper-leaved hair moss

Latin name only
Dicranum bonjeanii
Sphagnum subnitens
Sphagnum palustre
Sphagnum cuspidatum
Sphagnum papilosum
Sphagnum recurvum
Sphagnum auriculartum